The Angels of Heaven and Earth
by Philanthropist
Summary: Post Manga Chapter 182: Only heterosexual couples: Multichapter: In the dance between light and darkness, heroes are made. In the clash of colours, what shall they hold true to their hearts in the end?


Naruto is copywrited by Kishimoto Masashi.  
  
This particular work begins after Chapter 182 in the manga... Here are some spoilers:  
  
Don't read here if you don't like spoliers kids!  
  
Sasuke left the village, intending to take Orochimaru up on his offer. Shikamaru is assigned to create a crack team of genins to go get Sasuke, because all of the chuunin and jounin have to do missions because of the lessened workforce after the sound and sand attack.  
  
Normal reading resumes.  
  
The Angels of Heaven and Earth by Philanthropist  
  
In the well-lit sanctuary that had been the bastion of the hokage for over a century, Naruto stood on the smooth, unyielding hardwood floor across from the fifth hokage to grace Konoha, the legendary nin Tsunade. At the moment, all was not peaceful as Naruto looked just as energetically upset as if he had been stabbed with the thousand years of pain technique.  
  
"Why aren't you going to let me go help bring back Sasuke??!?" yelled Naruto who was literally jumping around the Hokage's office.  
  
"Practically all of the other genins are going! Why, out of all the genins in the village, did you specifically tell Shikamaru to leave me out!!!!Hunh! Hunh! Hunh!" wailed Naruto to Tsunade, who was presiding in her hokage chair.  
  
"Naruto."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Out of all the genin you're the strongest, in fact, if it weren't for the complete and utter lack of self-control on your part then you'd be a chunnin just on the basis of strength if I had any say in it."  
  
Naruto blinked.  
  
Tsunade sighed.  
  
"Didn't you and Sasuke nearly kill each other in a fight on the Konoha hospital's roof? I want to bring Sasuke back from Orochimaru... in one piece if possible."  
  
Naruto laughed nervously, and then Tsunade continued.  
  
"We need your help here, doing missions."  
  
Naruto frowned.  
  
"You're just trying to sucker me into some lame mission aren't you."  
  
Tsunade smirked dangerously.  
  
"Oh, you're going to be very satisfied with these missions if you're looking for a challenge. Basically, all the C ranked missions are going to be assigned to the genins left here in the village, and all the D ranked missions are going to be assigned to several groups of the academy students, especially since we can no longer afford to man the academy with teachers.  
  
"YOU," said Tsunade her face becoming darker and more sinister, " are going to help take up the slack for the chuunins and jounins."  
  
Naruto's mouth hung open for a while, gasping for air before he finally recovered with a victorious smirk.  
  
"Henh! It's about time someone recognized my awesome talents!"  
  
"Just one more thing..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Another genin is going to be assigned with you, to keep you in li..  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"ne. Someone re..."  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"spectable and reli"  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"able, from an old family."  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"WHO IS PATIENT AND..!"  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
***PPHHHHBOOOMM!!!***  
  
"COURTEOUS!!! I'm getting to that!!!"  
  
Then Tsunade looked down at her desk, or atleast what used to be her desk, that Naruto was already gazing wide-eyed at.  
  
"Achhhk!" emoted Tsunade, putting her hand to her forehead.  
  
"Anyway, she was highly recommended by Kurenai." she muttered motioning to the door with her hand," Izumo, bring her in!"  
  
In walked a rather tired looking Izumo, who was carrying a large stack of papers, with a VERY nervous looking Hinata who was trying to do anything but look and blush at Naruto, which was precisely what she was doing.  
  
"Na.. Na.. Na.." stuttered Hinata, in a nervous high pitched voice, crossing her hands and twiddling her thumbs.  
  
"Ahhh!!! Hinata! I remember you! I still have that medicine you gave me; it works great!" said Naruto looking into Hinata's eyes and pulling a cracked capped medicine jar that looked like it had been through a couple of tornados and an earthquake... and hell, of course.  
  
"Re.. really?" said Hinata, breaking eye contact with Naruto and her teeth parting slightly; her facial complexion red enough to make Rudolph the red- nosed reindeer jealous.  
  
Tsunade looked at Hinata then glanced at Naruto, her mouth wide enough to catch an obese hump-backed whale.  
  
Silence.  
  
Naruto, his mouth turning into a uncomfortable grimace and his eyes becoming fox slits, asked Tsunade, "Hunh? Hunh? What is it?"  
  
Tsunade just continued to gaze back and forth between the annoyed Naruto and the blushing Hinata.  
  
A sly, lecherous look crossed Tsunade's face for a brief moment,  
  
"So you know each other; that makes this all so much easier."  
  
Tsunade placed her right hand down on the upended corner of her desk.  
  
"Hinata, starting tomorrow you and Naruto will be assigned together as a team."  
  
Hinata began to blush even deeper.  
  
Tsunade turned her attention directly to Hinata, and Tsunade's face curled into a subtle grin.  
  
"That is, if thats what you want Hinata...?"  
  
Hinata's response came with smiling anticipation, filled with optimistic excitement.  
  
"Yes, Lord Tsunade!"  
  
Tsunade gave Hinata a knowing smile, and then leaned forward in her chair as she crossed her hands.  
  
"Very well. For your assignments, you'll have to report to me or Kurenai, depending on the situation."  
  
Tsunade cleared her throat, and sat back in her chair.  
  
"In any case, I'll have Kurenai explain your first mission tomorrow. You can go now."  
  
Naruto yawned uncharacteristically and before he made an energetic escape said, "Heh heh! This is going to be great! See you tomorrow Hinata!"  
  
Hinata nodded shyly towards the retreating Naruto, and bowed deeply towards Tsunade. Just as Hinata turned around to leave, Tsunade apprehended, "You can stay Hinata; there is something I want to talk to you about."  
  
Tsunade crossed her right leg over her left, lazily draping her fingers over her knees as she leaned over, and then said to Hinata, "So, I hear that you have an interest in the healing arts...."  
  
Asuma reclined against a building in a nearly empty street corner pondering whether it was the cigarettes that made him look cool, or him that made the cigarettes look cool. His glassy eyes lazily surveyed the surrounding buildings with a natural keenness only his nicotine-enhanced brain had. Just as he made his way onto the subject of smoking dragons, he was rather harshly bumped by an orange blur that was yelling in belated tones, "I'm the greatest! Wooohooo!" Asuma merely dusted himself before resuming his previous laid back position before looking at his counterpart on the ground and saying,"What are you so excited about... Naruto?"  
  
"Ahhh! You're that junkie guy!" responded Naruto.  
  
A very small, laid back vein subtly popped out of Asuma's head.  
  
"I'm getting some real missions! Tsunade says I'm so strong she needs my help keeping this village going, and she's assigned me a new partner! I'm finally getting my chance to prove to everyone how great I really am!!" said Naruto in a tone of voice that must be called super-duper extra-ooper jubilant with sprinkles on top.  
  
"So, who's the lucky guy?" asked Asuma nonchalantly.  
  
"Hinata!" replied Naruto.  
  
Asuma gasped, wheezed, and nearly dropped his cigarette but retained it in a remarkable display of oral acrobatics.  
  
"Your going to be -wheeze- out on missions alone with -hack- a girl your age?" asked Asuma while trying to get back that life-giving tobacco smoke into his lungs, where it had been replaced by a nasty gust of pure, clean oxygen.  
  
"Yep, and Kurenai gave her the idea!" said Naruto innocently.  
  
"Kurenai?" asked Asuma incredulously.  
  
"Kurenai." replied Naruto nodding.  
  
Silence.  
  
Asuma dropped his cigarette and stamped it out, while simultaneously drawing another and lighting it. Turning to Naruto, he waved his hand in a sloppy half-salute half-wave, before heading down the street. Naruto yelled after him, "Wait, I have even more stuff to tell you about!"  
  
With his back turned to Naruto, Asuma grinned like a satiated chesire cat. 


End file.
